Working in disaster zones!
28th Bathampton Group were privileged to have a presentation on earthquake rescue from locally based volunteer organisation SARAID (Search and Rescue Assistance in Disaster).
The Scouts were very struck by the presentation and SARAID presenter Paul said, “The Scouts were a great audience this evening. Very engaging and asked great questions.”
Scouts learnt about the history of SARAID, how its volunteers are trained and how and when they can help. This included why earthquakes occur, search and rescue techniques to extract people trapped under the rubble of fallen buildings and the equipment used. The presentation included video and aerial footage of areas struck by earthquakes.
SARAID are the first and only UK voluntary team to be officially classified by the UN International Search and Rescue Advisory Group as a light Urban Search and Rescue team. They are deployed as part of international rescue efforts when disasters such as floods and earthquakes strike.
The team is comprised of emergency managers and planners, engineers and paramedics and includes specialists in the fields of structural engineering, water and rope rescue, collapsed building rescue, logistics, hazardous materials, communications, and technical search.
You can find out more about SARAID here: https://www.saraid.org/